Living The Past
by CaraJade The Jaded Angel
Summary: *UPDATED!!!!!* SORATO!! Ch5 - The digi-destined are finally reunited - but will it be a happy reunion? (aw, come on...) And what is Frenzy's evil plan?...Read and find out! Then review! :p
1. The Storm

IThis fic takes place after Season 1...Here I make use of author's licence, and pretend Season 2 didn't happen!! And thus I also took some liberty with the characters and what happened to them after Season 1, so forgive me that. At the time at which the fic starts, Sora, Matt, Tai etc. (i.e. the older kids) are 18, thus making Kari and TK 16, I guess! And for those who don't like Sorato, be warned, I believe this may end up like that. But nothing too excessive! Just hints. And there will be more of the other characters featuring in my up and coming chapters - this is just setting the scene....OK, enough babbling. /I 

Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. Sad, but true. Not making money from writing...(this or otherwise) Again, sad, but also true. Anyway, on with the fanfic!

Living the Past : Chapter 1 - Storm

The sky was heavy with storm clouds. Sora sighed as she stared out of her small window at the deluge outside. It seemed as if the rain would never stop. A roll of thunder sounded nearby and it shook her from her thoughts. 

Lunch, she thought mechanically, as she realised how hungry she was. She crossed to the little fridge and opened it, only to find it almost empty.

"Damn," she muttered, as her stomach growled in response to this discovery. 

"The downpour it is then." She flung her coat on, flicked off the light switch and shut the door of her flat. She had just reached the bottom of two flights of stairs (because, conveniently, the elevator wasn't working, for the third time this week,) said hi to Phil who passed over her gas bill and two letters, from the mail pigeon-holes beneath his desk, and was about to set off into the storm when she ran into someone coming through the big glass doors. Literally.

She would have gone sprawling if it hadn't been for the quick reactions of the person she had crashed into. 

"Are you OK?" 

Sora swore she knew that voice. A second later, she realised that she did. 

"Matt?" She asked, stunned. "Is that really you?"

The tall, slender blonde that she had known -what, five, six years ago now - looked at her properly, raised his eyebrows and said coolly, "do I know you?"

Sora was so taken aback by his failure to recognise her that she stood there with her mouth hanging open, unable to think of a response. 

"Well, if you're OK - and you seem to be - I've gotta go." Matt dismissed her casually and turned to the doorman.

"Hey, Phil. Any letters?" Matt asked.

"Your usual," Phil replied with a grin, handing over a stack of envelopes of varying colours. Matt returned the grin. 

"Your fan-base still loves you, evidently." The big, dark-haired man said as Matt accepted the letters and turned to go up the stairs, leaving Sora dumb-founded and not knowing what to make of the situation. 

As she walked through the rain, she was still taken aback by the strangeness of their meeting. She had only moved into the block of flats a couple of weeks ago, but surely she would have met Matt before now? How odd it was, after years of no contact, that they should, by chance, end up living in the same block of flats.

She knew that Matt and his father had moved away to Los Angeles that very same year that they had finished High School, when they were 16. She remembered Tai being devastated at his best friend's departure, and TK even more so, because he would see his brother even less now. 

They had had a party, a last reunion of the digidestined kids, all eight of them, because Mimi too was leaving to attend Finishing School in New York, and Joe was setting off to a far-off university for medical students. Tai, Kari, Sora, Izzy and TK were the only ones who remained in Odaiba, and even then they saw little of each other. Sora and Izzy went to college, Sora to do English; Izzy, Computer Studies. Tai buried himself in working and football trials, and TK and Kari remained at High School.

Sora felt tears come to her eyes as she remembered that party. None of them had wanted it to end, and when midnight came and they had to go their separate ways, they had clung to each other in a group hug that had seemed to last forever, but was altogether too short as they broke apart for the final time.

Mimi had sent letters from time to time, but they had become few and far between, and she hadn't been back to visit since the Christmas after she had left. Matt had never returned to Odaiba as far as Sora knew - certainly Tai did not ever speak of him now -and often she had wondered how he was getting on. Joe had come back the year before and was working long, unsocial hours at the local hospital, but it hasn't been the same without the entire group. 

IHow long had Matt been in Odaiba?/I Sora wondered. IAnd why had he not contacted any of his old friends?/I She snapped out of her musing as she realised she had reached the grocery store. A large sign proclaimed it CLOSED. Sora groaned, stuffed her hands in her pockets and marched on to the coffee shop, shaking her wet hair out of her eyes.

Matt sauntered up the first flight of stairs until he was out of sight from Phil, and then tore up the next two, reaching his door and fumbling with the keys. He slammed it when he got in, threw down his guitar and the envelopes, adding to the growing stack on his desk, then sprawled on the bed, staring at the ceiling. His thoughts were buzzing around in his head so fast he could barely lie still. What was Sora doing here? He had never imagined he would see her, or any of his friends again. In fact, that was the way he had wanted it to be, once he returned to his home city. He didn't want them to know how much he had changed. They were part of his past life, one he had been forced to forget. Ever since that fateful day when his dad had been killed in a car accident, a couple of months after they had moved to LA so his dad could take up that new job that he was so looking forward to, Matt's life had been hell. Feeling numbed by the news of his dad's death, yet oddly capable and independent, Matt found himself out almost every night, just so that he didn't have to sit at home, alone in the apartment, thinking about his past and wishing he could go back in time. It was in L.A. that he had met the members of his now world-famous band, the Teenage Wolves. 

The band had gone from strength to strength in the public's eyes, though as the years went on, Matt found himself wishing that he could return to his old life, though he knew for certain that he could not - he had been irrevocably changed by his experiences. He stopped writing to Tai, even broke all contact with his brother, refused to talk to either of them whenever they rang his cellphone. In the end, though it sickened him, he achieved his objective, which was to cut them out of his life entirely. He couldn't bear to let them see what he had become, and so upon returning to his home city, he did not advertise the fact that he had returned. 

Sometimes he felt ashamed, thought he should have done something differently, but he buried those feelings and instead poured everything into his music, knowing nothing good could come from wishing and making himself feel guilty. He had been forced to change, that's what he told himself, and he wasn't going back. There was no point. Music and the band were all he had left now...

IA/N: OK...There's my first chapter! Not entirely sure where this fic's going - who's to say what the workings of my strange mind will produce? Not I. Anyway, hope you enjoyed my ramblings so far...On with the next chapter.

P.S. Please Read and Review (no, I'm not going to come up with an original way to say that!!! Well, not yet anyway.)/I ^_^


	2. Unpleasant Surprise

Hi everyone!!!! My second chapter! It's a bit longer than the last one - I guess Ch.1 should really have been a 'prologue'...Hey, I still got a long way to go, my imagination's running away with this story. (I hope my creativity stays with me long enough to finish the fic! Don't let me down now, right-side of the brain! Or is the left....Anyway, sorry, I digress once more.)  
Just to reassure you all, TK and Kari will be appearing more in the following chapters, and Mimi will also have a cameo role...Well, she will as soon as she gets her butt out'a New York!   
Hope you guyz all enjoy, and thank you to my reviewers:   
Ying-Fa, Kari Ishikawa, GG, rose, White Lily (this girl writes a great fic - check her out) Sora's twin and Crest of Empathy (big thanx for being my first reviewer! :) )  
  
Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon! If I did, Season 2 AND 3 would've seen a lot more of the original digidestined...The original is always best. Stick with the good things! C'mon people!!! Ahem. Ladies and gentlemen, please give a round of applause...I proudly present to you all...The Second Chapter. (collapses)  
  
Chapter 2 : An Unpleasant Surprise  
  
Matt left early the next morning. Really early. He had set his alarm for 6.30 in the hope that he would have actually dragged himself out of bed by 7. God, how he hated mornings!!!  
The band were scheduled for a whole-day practice before their concert that night, and since he was their lead singer and guitarist, he couldn't miss it. The previous night, when he had been unable to sleep and was watching reruns on late-night TV, he had considered going downstairs to talk to Sora, perhaps even to apologise for his treatment of her, but had quickly thrown away that idea when he realised he had nothing to say to her. What could he say, anyway?  
It was still raining as the good-looking blonde hurried down the grey streets; perhaps a reflection on his mood, Matt thought dryly. Odaiba hadn't changed much in the two years he had been away touring with the band...  
  
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Sora had been indecisive yesterday, but today, she told herself, she would investigate further. She threw open the curtains and was gratified to see that the sun was out and shining fiercely. That's more like it! Its nearly June, after all!   
She wasn't just going to sit around down here and wonder why Matt hadn't recognised her, or if he had, why he was so avidly ignoring her. She was going to go and find out for herself.  
Glancing at her watch, Sora saw that it was 9.30. That gave her some time before she met up with Tai and Joe - the two had a rare day off, and she and Izzy had promised to be there, so that they could all spend the day together.   
  
Surely Matt would be awake by now? She almost laughed out loud as she remembered how touchy he had been in the mornings in the Digital World, but she sobered quickly, recalling Matt's reaction to her yesterday.   
The Digital World had been a long time ago. A whole lifetime away. For some reason, Sora felt nervous as she knocked on Matt's door. She knew he had the apartment above hers - she had talked to Phil when she had got back from the coffee shop, wet and miserable, and still hungry. She hadn't had the daring to go straight up there and then, but now she was resolute.  
"Matt?" She asked tentatively, when, after a couple of minutes, he hadn't opened the door. "Are you there?"  
Leaning on the handle, she found that the door was unlocked. Feeling slightly guilty, Sora stepped inside. "Matt?" She tried again, running a hand nervously through her red hair. "You here?"  
There was no reply. Sora shrugged, and was about to leave when she caught a glimpse of something, glinting silver in the sunlight...  
  
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"Kari?" Tai bellowed up the stairs.  
When there was no response, he rolled his eyes and hollered, louder this time, "TK! KARI!"  
"Gees, Tai," Kari muttered, as she met his eyes over the banister. "What is going on? Could you shout any louder?!"  
Tai grinned. "I could, but since I've got your attention, I guess it's not necessary...I'm going down town to meet Sora, Joe and Izzy, OK?"  
A blonde, tousled head appeared next to Kari's. "Have fun Tai. See ya later!"  
"Ciao TK, Kari. Be good!"   
Tai smirked as the two protested loudly over that last comment, and slammed the door.  
  
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Sora felt as though someone had kicked her in the stomach. She sat down, hard, on the sofa and stared at the used syringe that lay under the coffee table. She realised she was breathing hard, trying not to cry, and closed her eyes for a minute, trying desperately to think. The glint of Matt's familiar harmonica had drawn her to the table, and for a moment she had just stared at the little instrument, not quite being able to bring herself to touch something that had meant so much to Matt - it brought back so many memories. Then something else had caught her attention as the sun hit it...but she had never expected this. Surely there had to be another explanation.   
"Oh, god...Matt..." She let her breath out in a rush and buried her head in her hands.   
  
It was a few minutes before Sora got up, a little shakily. Gritting her teeth, she headed into the bedroom. The knot of guilt that had made its home within her ever since she had stepped into Matt's apartment clenched, but she stolidly ignored it. She had to know.  
Please don't let it be true...Oh please, don't let it be true! That was all Sora could think as she frantically pawed through Matt's drawers. She repeated it over and over in her head, like a mantra. She realised she was crying and furiously brushed the tears away as they blurred her vision, spilling down her cheeks. She didn't cry - she never cried! She mustn't cry!  
But what she found next shattered that resolution, and she began to sob breathlessly, big gasping sobs that made her shake uncontrollably. The stash of drugs in Matt's bottom drawer confirmed her worst fears. The young man she had known as a boy was a drug addict. And had been for some time, if the stash was anything to go by. Sora was suddenly disgusted, and threw the drawer closed, hurling herself away   
from the offensive substances that had apparently possessed her once-friend. She sat down heavily on the bed, and attempted to recover her composure. And then she saw the photos. There was a whole row of them along the dresser, and Sora felt herself inexplicably drawn to them. Photos told a lot about a person, she had found.  
  
Sniffing, Sora brushed the sleeve of her shirt across her face and got to her feet, picking up the nearest picture frame. A small smile crept onto her features as she saw her friends' faces grinning out at her. They were all there - Mimi, Joe, TK, Tai, Kari and herself...She remembered Matt taking the picture, that night that they had said goodbye (or as Tai had firmly corrected them...Its not goodbye, you guys - its just a temporary farewell, a sort of..."see you soon"...OK?) She set it down and picked up the next one - this one displayed the image of two blonde boys, one with his arm around the other. The two had such similar smiles that Sora knew it could only be Matt and his little brother TK...perhaps 10 years ago, from the look of it. There were more...a teenage Matt with his dad outside a posh-looking apartment with the sun gleaming on its walls, TK and his mother, a family group photo, a young Tai and Kari, both sticking their tongues out at the camera...and finally, Matt with an electric guitar strapped over one shoulder and a mic in one hand with three other guys that Sora didn't know. A similar picture on a glossy magazine cover made Sora raise her eyebrows in astonishment.   
  
TEENAGE WOLVES STORM AMERICA!! The tagline screamed. GET THE GOSSIP WITH HOT LEAD SINGER, MATT ISHIDA - EXCLUSIVE INSIDE!   
  
A post-it note was stuck casually on the cover and Sora scanned it interestedly.   
  
Hey Matt, check out the reviews! Looks like it all paid off! ~Dave   
P.S. Great interview - way to knock 'em dead, mate!!   
  
"Well, Matt, you sure have been busy..." The red haired girl murmured as she leafed through the magazine. She was quite astounded by the pictures in the "10 page special on the hottest band around" - Matt looked stunning, really gorgeous. She could see why he had been described as 'hot' on the front cover. She hadn't got a good look at him yesterday...  
She suddenly felt herself blushing. She never acted like this - that was a Mimi-style thought. At that realisation, Sora became conscious of how much she missed her ditzy, yet ultimately sincere and caring friend...I wonder why I never realised Matt was part of a band before...A world-famous one at that! How dopey am I?  
She had almost forgotten about the stash, but as she put the magazine carefully back where she had got it from - she didn't want Matt to be suspicious - her throat tightened once more as she remembered. "Living the rock-star life now, I suppose." Sora muttered. "With all the fame and the fans...and the drugs of course. Oh Matt...If only you knew..."  
A beep from Sora's watch made her jump, and her thoughts scattered. "Oh...sh...sugar," Sora exclaimed, correcting herself automatically, despite the fact that there was no-one to hear her...Her mom had always hated swearing. It was almost 10.30. Tai and the others would skin her alive - she was already half an hour late!  
  
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"I'm gonna skin her alive if she doesn't hurry up." Tai Kamiya announced in mock-threatening tones. He leant back in his chair and waved casually at the waitress who rolled her eyes and walked the other way.  
"She'll be here soon Tai." Izzy assured him calmly.   
"It's not like Sora to be late though," Joe reminded them. "I hope nothing's wrong."  
"Oh, stop being paranoid Joe," Tai mumbled as he yawned hugely. "She's probably doing her hair..."  
"I heard that, Tai!" Sora exclaimed loudly as she grabbed his shoulders from behind.  
"Yow! Sora, don't do that! You just took at least 5 years off my life-span!"  
"Yeah, whatever Tai. Hi everyone!" Sora grinned at Izzy and Joe, who smiled knowingly back at her as Tai recovered his composure somewhat.  
"So what are we doing today?" Sora asked as they left the cafe, with Tai shooting evil glares at the impertinent waitress.  
"I thought we could go check out that new movie," Tai began, while Izzy piped up, "there's a new exhibition on at the museum..." and Joe exclaimed, "I heard they were holding a tasting test at the new 'Ice-cream Dream' parlour..."  
Sora threw up her hands. "Woah guys. Hold it. Tell you what, we'll head for the museum..."  
"What?" Tai interrupted loudly.  
Sora raised her eyebrows at him and continued speaking. "As I was saying...We'll go to the museum, head for the cinema and then get ice-creams after. Sound good? We've got a whole day ahead of us!"  
"Yeah, and we would'a had even longer if you hadn't taken so long doing your hair!" Tai smirked and dodged expertly as Sora aimed a slap at him.  
  
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"Hey, wow, check this sword out!" Tai exclaimed.  
"That's a proper sword," Sora agreed. She peered at it through the glass of its display case. "Look at all those little markings...What are they, letters? Hieroglyphs or something?"  
"It says it's at least 1500 years old," Izzy proclaimed. "Reckoned to be from the East, and people believed it had magical, otherworldly properties."  
"The genius speaks again!" Tai groaned.  
"It doesn't take a genius to read a card, Tai," Izzy pointed out with a grin.  
"OK, come on, you guys! The film starts in half an hour, and I wanna get good seats!" Tai grabbed Sora's and Izzy's arms and hauled them into the next room, where Joe was examining a selection of bejewelled daggers.  
"C'mon Joe, gotta go!" Tai ordered.  
"Quiet please!" An attendant announced crossly, glaring at Tai.  
"Sheesh..." Tai muttered as they left the museum. "Its not like it's a library or anything! People seem to be going out of their way to pick on me today."  
"Must be your irresistible charm, Tai!" Sora giggled.   
The banter continued on the way to the cinema, and Sora almost forgot her unpleasant surprise earlier that morning...  
  
A/N: OK, I'm gonna leave it there...Not cliffhanger-y I know, but there should be plenty of those coming up. That's as soon as I get round to writing them! Matt's concert next, I do believe, and an entrance of a mysterious stranger!!! And how will Matt react when Sora tries to help?  
Hey, I have a good feeling about this fic. I hope you all feel a little of that good vibe too. Well, anyway, read and review please! Love to y'all,   
**~~Cara Jade~~**   
  
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	3. Enigmatic Stranger

Heya peeps, I'm BAAAAAAACK! (*ahem*) Anyhow, here's chapter 3 - this is the weird, "supernatural-y" one, so bear with! But yeah, this was fun to write. I do like torturing the characters......  
I thought I'd get more into this chapter, but it turned out to take more writing then I thought...I really wanna get to the bit with Sora and Matt, cos I got it all planned out, just gotta get it typed...Yay! Next chapter! I promise...!! Anyway, read on, please guys...  
  
'---' equals thoughts  
"---"equals speech  
  
Disclaimer: lalalalalala...Ooh, sorry. Got distracted. Well, as we all know, I don't own those luvverly digidestined, however, Frenzy is a figment of my own bizarre imagination - so she's MINE! Mwahahahahaha!  
  
Chapter 3 : The Enigmatic Stranger  
  
Matt was lost in thought as he tuned up his guitar one final time before he was due on stage with the other members of the Teenage Wolves. When the strings were as satisfactorily resonant as he could get them, he finally looked up. Instead of standing and running through a few chords as he usually did, he sat uncommonly still, staring into space, unfocused.   
His head was still spinning from his meeting with Sora. 'Damn her,' he thought fiercely. 'She's really unsettled me...I never thought I'd see her -or any of them-again.'  
Just thinking about his old friends, the digidestined (it was still hard to believe what they had all gone through together...) made Matt self-consciously draw the long sleeves of his black shirt down over his arms. They were mottled with bruises from the multiple injections. Some were fading to a pale brown, others, newer ones, were blue-purple and painful looking. He shuddered slightly, the way he always did when he thought of what he had become.   
A drug addict.  
It was still hard to think of that, despite the front he put up to others when they seemed surprised - instead of being defensive, he wore his casual, don't-care attitude like a mask to conceal his true feelings. No-one ever saw the other side of Matt Ishida - the side of him that just wanted to scream and cry, break down utterly at the injustice of losing his father, his friends, his brother, his sanity...  
His entire life had been changed - he was a teen idol, a rock star, doing what he loved, making music that others appreciated, adored, even, yet he hadn't ever pictured it being this way - alone. Despite the comradeship of the other guys and their support, they could never truly understand him. The fans adored him, but they couldn't be close to him.   
The rest of the band accepted the fact that he used drugs - they could hardly escape it after all, it was gossip that affected the whole band and their image, and in a way he felt guilty for that. He had built walls around himself to stop that sensitive, wretched side showing - he couldn't afford to let it surface - he had to retain his cool exterior. If he lost the band and the music, there would be nothing worth living for, it was that simple. A slip-up could mean the end of your career in the music business. They may say it's all about the music, Matt thought, but if your image goes, then you're finished.  
  
His first slip-up had been being photographed with the tell-tales marks on his arms - there was no disguising the fact he was on drugs then. Sure, the tabloids had had a ball with that story, Matt hated to think of the fans' reactions. He hoped none of them had idolised him so much that they followed that road as well - it was not something he would recommend - far from it. If there was anything he could have done to stop the papers running the story he would have. Not so much for his own benefit, but for the fans.   
He didn't care what people thought of him any more. But he didn't want lives ruined because of him. That was partly why he had agreed to do a documentary, along with the other members of the band on the so-called "rock-star life" - he wanted to make it clear that drugs could, and did ruin your life.  
  
But though he despised the drugs, he could not live without them. 'I suppose that's why they call it an addiction,' the teen thought sardonically, adjusting the length of his guitar strap, hearing the screaming from the packed concert hall filter down to where he was sitting backstage.   
It had become a habit, and he came to crave the brief high that the stuff gave him, because the harsh reality was often too hard to face. Worse than that was the loneliness. OK, he knew he had brought it on himself by pushing Tai and TK - the people closest to him - away, but that knowledge didn't make it any better. He was trapped, effectively. Desperate for his true friends, yet unable to allow himself to let them into his life because of the drugs he was addicted to, and without his friends or someone to give him a reason to give up, the need for the hits was just too strong to ignore.  
  
"Matt!" Jon yelled, his voice unnaturally loud, partly to be heard over the muffled screaming, and also because he was wearing his ear-phones to muffle the sound of the drum-kit he would be responsible for playing once the band got on stage. "You ready? This is gonna be the big one for you! Home town's always the best, right?"  
"You tell me," Matt remarked, standing up and putting all thought of Sora and his old life aside. "You should know - you've played in L.A. enough times, after all! This is my first time playing at home."  
"Yeah," Jon agreed. "You don't mind about that do you? We did do L.A. first, after all. It must be kinda hard being away from home so much...But then, that's what its all about, right?"  
"Yeah," Matt nodded and clapped him on the shoulder, indicating Dave, who was urging them over to him, frantically. "Let's rock this joint! Before Dave strains something..." He laughed, his clear blue eyes sparkling with wicked humour, and Jon joined in.   
'I guess it would be hard being away from home if home actually meant something to me...' The teen thought, with a inward sigh. Ostensibly, he grinned at Dave and Paul, who played keyboards and guitar respectively and ran a hand through his blonde hair.   
"Ready guys? I think we'd better get out there - people are getting impatient!"   
The others laughed - the thudding from hundreds of eager, excited fans' feet as they stamped on the concert hall floor was almost deafening.  
  
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A figure stepped out of the shadows. A woman; willowy, quite tall. Slender, with blonde swathes of immaculately curled hair tumbling past the shoulder and dark, midnight-blue eyes that could strip away a person's soul.   
A smile played over her smooth features, and a soft sigh escaped the stranger's curved lips.   
"Ahhh. Twilight Hour."   
The sun had set moments before and a pale blush of pink still remained in the western sky. Turning her head toward the East, the woman laughed, quietly, melodiously. A full moon hung silvery in the darkening heavens as she set off down the deserted street. "Now, to begin the search..."  
It had not been long before she felt what she had been searching for. An abundance of energy pulsed nearby, she was almost overwhelmed by it. Drawn to it like a wolf to its prey, she slipped across the street on noiseless bare feet. Her lips curved in a feral smile as she stepped up to the men at the doors to the concert hall.  
"Excuse me miss, but the doors are closed," one said, with the bored attitude of a man who is sick of his job.  
Quick as a flash, the young woman shot out her hand with supernatural speed and dealt the man a harsh blow to the throat. He crumpled instantly. The other man only gaped for a moment, to give him credit.  
"OK, what the hell do you think you're doing?"   
He received no reply. An instant later, he had joined his companion, but he was less fortunate. His companion had at least kept his head.  
Frenzy wiped her blade casually on the dead man's coat and resheathed it. "I'm sorry, did you say something?" She said sweetly to the decapitated corpse, and spun on her heel. "Doors aren't a problem to me."  
  
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Matt couldn't help having a good time. The atmosphere on stage was electric, you could almost reach out and touch the excitement - it was buzzing. It was almost time to draw the concert to a close, and he felt a tinge of annoyance. When he could lose himself in the music, he almost enjoyed being alive. It gave him some kind of vital energy.   
But, as always, there had to be a finish. They made it a good one. The fans were screaming so loud, Matt felt as though the roof would cave in. Literally.  
  
Exhausted, sweating but exhilarated, the band members staggered down the backstage steps, grinning all over their faces. "Wow, that was brilliant!" Dave mumbled, as he flexed his fingers experimentally. "Man, I could go out there and do it all again!"   
"Hey, don't wanna burn yourself out too soon." Matt remarked as he swung his guitar over his shoulder and rested it on a nearby chair. "I hate to be the voice of reason, but we've got plenty more dates to play!"  
"Can't wait," Jon said, snatching up a towel. "The crowd were great, weren't they? It was really buzzing out there!"  
"Yeah," Matt smiled briefly, as he remembered. "Well, c'mon, guys, lets go get changed and get out to 'face the crowd.' "  
  
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"This is perfect," murmured Frenzy as she watched the young blonde-haired musician wave to the crowd and depart the stage. "He's perfect..."  
She pushed her way through the hordes of people who were still screaming, hoping for a second encore.  
'Hmmm. Backstage doors....Should be...here.'  
"Excuse me," She said pleasantly to the man standing watchfully at the barred backstage doors. Her knife shot out momentarily in a flash of silver, then was gone again just as fast. The man fell to the floor with a barely audible gurgle, his throat slit.   
"Too slow."   
The woman slipped unnoticed through the doors, and barred them once more. She didn't want any of those lunatics out there spoiling her fun...  
  
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Matt sighed as he shut the door of his dressing room, and for a moment he just leant against it silently, feeling his heartbeat as it thudded within him. The adrenaline was beginning to wear off now, and tiredness set in. Snatching a towel from a chair, Matt rubbed his face dry, stripped off his shirt and slipped on a fresh one. He left it unbuttoned for the moment as he stood in front of the wall-mirror and ran a comb through his unruly blonde hair.   
The door clicked as it opened. Matt jumped. He was sure he had locked it, for the sake of privacy. He swung round, eyes narrowed, irritated by the interruption. He was taken aback by the fact that the intruder was a young woman. A remarkably beautiful young woman, in fact. She strolled in confidently, her eyes fixed on his, and Matt felt a little unnerved, though annoyance at her audacity soon took over.  
"What do you want?" He demanded.   
"Ooh, straight to the point, I like that." She answered casually. "No introductions?"  
"What do you want?" Matt repeated tightly, crossing his arms.  
"Well, I'll tell you who I am. My name is Firenze Orenda Gloriana. [A/N - don't ask OK? It came from my odd mind] But you can call me Frenzy for short, since we're going to be such good friends."  
"And what makes you think that?" Matt asked, staring at her, feeling that perhaps he should just yell for security and get this weirdo out of here.  
  
"Not a good idea. Security are no match for me," Frenzy said sweetly. "But tell you what, I'll tell you what I want, and then you can help me."  
Matt gaped at her, his hands trembling ever so slightly. Had she read his thoughts? It would appear so.   
  
Frenzy moved several steps closer to this young man. He was an uncommonly good-looking mortal, and more importantly, she could feel the energy radiating from him - it was this atypical characteristic that set him apart from all the screaming dross out there. This young man had something special...  
"Now," she said, sidling up to him. "I need you. You have something special, I can sense it. I could feel it a long way away...But, I don't know..." She lunged forwards and grabbed Matt's arms suddenly, her eyes sparkling with mischievousness. The teen gasped and struggled, trying to pull away from her, but her grip was like iron clamps.  
"Let go," Matt gasped, wrenching from side-to side, panic building within him. How could she be so impossibly strong? When that didn't work, he brought up his leg to deliver a sharp roundhouse kick to this odd woman, remembering, despite his fear, what he had learnt in his martial arts classes, a long time ago. Quick as a flash, before Matt's foot could connect with her body, Frenzy let go of Matt's arms, and grabbed his outstretched leg.   
Matt yelped in dismay as her nails dug through the material of his jeans, and he lost his balance as Frenzy yanked brutally at his leg. He fell awkwardly, his head thudding painfully against the wooden floor. Dazed, Matt shook his head from side to side, trying to get rid of the dizziness that clouded his mind. He groaned, tasting blood in his mouth.  
Frenzy was laughing merrily, still clinging to his leg. "Oh, I do like to play," she giggled.   
  
Anger replaced panic in Matt and he bent his leg at the knee swiftly, dragging Frenzy forward, then lashed out with it again, catching her in the stomach. She let go for a brief moment and Matt lost no time. Rolling over and leaping to his feet, he darted around Frenzy and had just grabbed hold of the door handle when Frenzy screamed in fury and hurled herself at him. She pinned him against the door with such force that Matt's breath was crushed out of him.   
"Ughhhnn...Get off of me!!" Matt struggled, but he couldn't move. She had pinned him firmly against the door. He felt her cold hands on the back of his neck and flinched as Frenzy hissed noisily in his ear, "enough playing around."  
Matt opened his mouth to yell for help but at that instant, he was wrenched backwards, then thrown forwards again. He felt something solid come into contact with his head and all thoughts of escaping were lost as he succumbed to blackness...  
  
"Hello?" Jon snatched up Matt's cell-phone and connected.   
"Um, hello. Is Matt there please?"   
Jon furrowed his brow. It sounded like a kid on the other end.   
"Who's speaking?" Jon asked as he glanced at his watch. Matt sure was taking his time in his dressing room.  
"It's TK. Er, I'm Matt's brother...Who's this?"  
"Oh, right! Your Matt's little brother! This is Jon, I'm his bandmate. I'll just go get him for you, TK."   
  
TK glanced nervously at Tai's closed bedroom door and anxiously wound the phone cord round and round his fingers. If Tai knew he was ringing Matt, he wouldn't be too happy. Tai had made it quite clear that he hated Matt, and TK could hardly blame him. He had hated his brother too when Matt had refused to speak to him...   
But Tai and Kari were downstairs attempting to make dinner - the Kamiyas were out at a restaurant tonight, and Kari had invited TK round.  
TK had been reading one of the magazines lying around on the Kamiya's coffee table, and had been flicking through it, with Tai and his sister's lively banter in the background as they argued over what to cook. He had been surprised when he had seen the advert in the magazine for a Teenage Wolves concert here in Odaiba - that meant his brother was in town somewhere...TK had excused himself and now he was anxiously waiting to speak to his brother. He had to know what was going on.  
  
Frenzy surveyed the unconscious youth. This was no good. She hadn't intended to hit him so hard against the door that he collapsed. 'Well, he was bugging me, she pouted. I can't help it if I don't know my own strength!'  
It was a shame that she'd had to damage him, really. There was an ugly bruise appearing where he had hit the door, a dark smudge against the pale skin of his forehead. His eyelids fluttered and Frenzy clapped her hands. 'Good, he's waking up. Then I can test him and get out of here! It's starting to bore me...'  
  
Matt was only unconscious for a few moments. Pain seared through his head as he cautiously opened one eye. Seeing Frenzy above him caused the memories to flood back and his eyes shot open fully, widening in alarm, but before he could do anything, Frenzy had him on his feet, his back to her, her arms clamping round his waist. She forced him over in front of the mirror and as he glared at her reflection in the glass, she smiled ferally back at him. "Now we shall see if I can use you," she remarked in a low voice.  
Matt strained desperately, but her arms did not give. 'She can't be human! No one can be this strong!'  
With a growl, Frenzy bared her teeth, revealing wickedly jagged fangs. Matt filled his lungs to scream, but Frenzy cut him off as she sank her jaws deep into the tender skin of Matt's throat...  
  
A/N: whew! My fingers hurt. Please tell me what you thought of this strange collection of words loosely referred to as a chapter. I'd be most appreciative...OK, I give up trying to sound accomplished : just R/R peeps, OK? ^_^ Thanx! ~Cara  
Ooh, and just for info - Firenze Orenda Cloriana means, in my odd way, "Frenzy Power Glory" So there you go. Learn something new every day, huh? 


	4. Redemption

Yay!!!!!!!!!!! SORATO begins!!!!!!!!!!! Yes yes yes! *Does little dance of triumph*  
OK, this is my first attempt at romance in a fic, but I feel really good after writing it - hopefully more to come - and there's also a hint of TAKARI here too - just an eensy bit...Just so you know...But yes, I will be developing my plotline also in further chapters! Hehe. This is quite a long one, but, read, people, read - I present to you...*Drumroll*....Chapter 4!! (takes bow and runs off laughing hysterically) Enjoy.  
  
******Big hugs to /all/ my reviewers so far!!!!!!!!! ********  
You're the people that encourage me to do this, I have you to thank for my creation.  
/..../ means italics,   
'....' Means thoughts,   
"..." equals speech. Anywho, enough blabbering.  
  
Disclaimer: Digidestined not my own - but boy, do I love 'em. Read now!  
  
Chapter 4: Redemption  
  
"Matt, it's your brother on the phone...Holy shit!" Jon exclaimed, as he pushed the door fully open, dropping the phone, forgotten, to the floor.   
Frenzy looked up, irritated with the intrusion. This was getting stupid. She relinquished her hold on Matt and he staggered forward, catching himself on the table. He was breathing hard. Blood from his throat soaked the pale blue shirt he wore - still unbuttoned - staining it crimson.  
Frenzy licked her lips, savouring the taste of the young man's blood. She had bitten deeper than she had intended, but she had not been sorry - Matt's exclamation of pain and the low moan that followed it gave her a thrill of power, as it did every time. Even better was the fact that he had tried to fight back. It made it so much more interesting.   
It was a pity that his blood was tainted - she had tasted the oddity when she first sank her fangs into his throat. It would not do to use tainted blood - hell knew where /that/ would lead her.  
"Matt! Who..." Jon tailed off, his eyes roving over the disturbing scene. Matt was white-faced; the pallid colour of his skin a sharp contrast with the bloody stains that covered his shirt.   
Frenzy smirked. "It's been fun. Sorry I can't hang around."   
'Brother...'she mused. 'Perhaps...it would make sense that any brother of Matt would have that same unnatural, not-quite-mortal energy that she had sensed in the young musician. She would cut her losses and make use of the information she had. Now, to find this brother...'  
Matt watched in a dazed relief as Frenzy blew him a kiss, leapt straight up and swung promptly out of the little skylight with the agility of a monkey.  
Blackness swum at the edge of his vision and he fought to stay conscious. Dimly he heard Jon's frantic questions. He did his best to answer them, nodding or shaking his head, still in shock after what had happened. No, he didn't know who that 'pyscho-freak' was. No, he wasn't all right. Yes, he would like it if Jon dropped him home. /No/, he did not need to go to the hospital.   
There was no need to fuss, after all...There would be questions asked at the hospital - he didn't need any more bad publicity.   
  
*****************************************  
  
"Due to a little...backstage incident, we regret that only two of the Teenage Wolves will be available for signings..."   
/That/ didn't go down too well with the crowd outside the concert hall, and they couldn't be blamed, really. They had waited hopefully for at least half an hour to get their stuff signed.   
"However, we hope to see you all again in the biggest music store in town, at the release of the new single, "Can't Tell Me" in three days time!"   
The band's manager, Don Carmichael, bit his lip as he switched the megaphone off amongst some cheers, but many more disgruntled boos from various factions of fans. A tide of talk erupted after he stepped back inside the foyer of the concert hall - speculations on what had happened to the remaining two members flew back and forth - especially the much-loved lead singer Matt Ishida - like wildfire.   
Carmichael hoped this wouldn't hurt the band's popularity, but it couldn't be helped. He gave Dave and Paul a thumbs up as they made their way outside amongst roaring approval. Matt had looked in a bad way. Don wasn't too sure what had happened - neither Matt or Jon paused to fill him in...  
  
**********************************************  
  
TK put the phone down in frustration. What was going on? He had heard shouting, swearing...and then the phone had gone dead. So much for a brotherly reunion. He wrinkled his nose - smelt like burning...   
"Oi, TK! Get down here and give us a hand, would ya?" Tai bellowed up the stairs.  
"Coming," TK hollered back, sighing inwardly. 'Oh Matt, why can't I just speak to you, even for a moment?'  
  
**********************************************  
  
It was late. Sora flicked off the TV - she hadn't been paying attention to it anyway - and was about to go into her bedroom, change into her pyjamas and go to bed. Her watch told her it was already past eleven, and she had an early start in the morning.  
She had just dumped the empty pizza box in the bin and washed up her plate and glass when she heard a distinct thump and a groan outside her apartment door.  
'What the hell...?' Sora furrowed her brow, was going to ignore it, but then the curiosity got the better of her. Probably some drunk.   
She looked out of the little spy-hole, but couldn't make out anything, so she boldly opened the door...and gasped in dismay.  
"Matt! What happened to you?"  
  
************************************************  
  
"What's wrong?" Kari asked quietly as she drew her knees up to her chest. She looked at TK expectantly with her soft brown eyes, eyebrows drawn in a perplexed expression. They were watching a movie, what movie TK wasn't sure - he hadn't been paying much attention, though Tai had been, and had ordered them to hit the pause button while he answered the phone.  
"Oh, nothing," TK tried to gloss over his distracted state of mind. 'Matt's in Odaiba right now! And I can't even speak to him!'  
"Yeah right," Kari muttered, giving him a mock-glare. "You haven't been paying any attention to the film, and you were spaced out during dinner - you didn't even notice that the chicken was practically black!"  
TK shrugged, tried to joke, to put her off. "It had a good...charcoal flavour."   
"TK," Kari complained, feigning annoyance, "quit messing around. I know there's something wrong. Can't I help?"  
"Well..." TK paused.   
Kari waited patiently, just watching him.   
'She's so beautiful, so trusting. I don't ever want her to be hurt...Woah, where'd that come from? Well, I know I like her, but...'  
"TK!" Kari laughed softly, touched his hand lightly with her own. TK felt a shiver run through him. 'What is wrong with me? This is Kari! She's my best friend!'   
"You've done it again - you're just staring into the distance!" Kari glanced at Tai, who was rounding up his phone conversation and making faces at her. She giggled and turned her attention back to TK. "Y'know, you don't have to tell me now if you don't want to. Tell you what, why don't we talk tomorrow - after school? Tai won't be around - he's got a soccer match."  
"Un-pause!" Tai announced, grinning as he plopped down in the armchair once more. Kari gave TK a small smile and pressed play once more. The film resumed.  
  
*******************************************  
  
"Oh my god, Matt!" Sora knelt down beside the exhausted young man. His breath was coming in fast shallow gasps and he was deathly pale. Blood was still leaking from the gash on his throat.   
  
Sora felt suddenly quite practical and in control. She had to get Matt up off the floor - certainly getting him up another flight of stairs to his own apartment in this state wasn't an option. That neck wound looked pretty serious...But no time for questions - Matt looked ready to pass out - 'not good', Sora thought.   
"OK, Matt, I'm gonna get you into my room," Sora muttered, half to herself.   
"Who's that?" Matt whispered, lifting his head painfully from the floor.   
"Matt, its Sora. Don't worry."  
"Sora? What...What're you doing here?"   
  
Everything was fuzzy in Matt's mind. His head hurt, he felt dizzy and sick, and his neck ached dully. 'But Sora's here...What is she doing here?...I left her so long ago...'  
Sora shook Matt gently, alarmed as his eyes rolled back in his head. 'Oh, great, now he's unconscious...What do I do! Panic began to rise within her. Get a grip, Sor',' she told herself firmly. Just get him inside...  
  
'Easier said than done,' Sora thought as she finally draped Matt across her bed. She put her hands against the small of her back and shut her eyes momentarily. She had had to position Matt's limp arm round her neck, holding it with one hand while she staggered upright and dragged him, dead-weight, into her apartment, his head lolling lifelessly.   
'Now I'd better see what I can do about that gash...'Sora planned, hurrying into the little kitchenette, running some warm water, and then carrying out a frantic search of the drawers to find the first aid kit that she knew was around someplace...  
A groan from her bedroom brought her hurrying back to the young man's side, slopping water around, the first aid kit in the other hand.   
'He /is/ remarkably handsome...' Sora found herself reflecting, and then gave herself a mental slap. 'But it sure does stir some old memories to see him again...'  
She brushed Matt's blonde hair back from his face, then was shocked to find her hand lingering against his cheek. 'Get a GRIP, Sora!'   
  
As if sensing her guilt, Matt's blue eyes shot open, full of shock and fear, as though awakening from a bad dream. "No, wait, I..."  
He tailed off. His eyes located Sora and surprise registered on his features before the unreadable mask slipped into place again...Sora knew that expression. That had been Matt's defensive "look" that she had come to know well in the Digital World. Maybe he hadn't changed so much...   
"Sora, what's going on? I...remember Jon dropping me off - but its all a little obscure from then on." Sora smiled hesitantly. "You collapsed outside my door, actually. I brought you in here."  
Matt seemed to realise where he was. "Oh yeah...I thought the décor was a little different..." He tried a small smile, shrugged uncomfortably and sat up, rubbing the back of his head.  
"Hey, hang on, you're not going anywhere 'til I sort that out," Sora said indicating the still-bleeding lesion.  
"Oh, no, its OK," Matt dismissed it casually. "Really, I'm fine..."  
"Look, I'm not taking no for an answer," Sora insisted, "now, let me see."  
Sighing, Matt let her inspect the wound. He gave her a small smile. "Listen, I'm sorry for brushing you off the other day." He glanced at her from the corner of his eye and said softly, "I was just shocked to see you again, I guess."  
"Me too," Sora admitted. "I often wondered how things were going, though."  
  
Matt flinched as Sora gently pressed at his throat. "Sorry," she apologised. "Tell you what, why don't you take the shirt off and I could get to it easier - and its covered in blood anyway. I'll stick it in my machine if you want - it'll be clean by morning."  
Matt looked askance at her. Sora looked back at him resolutely, hoping she wouldn't blush.   
  
Finally Matt threw his hands up, half-glaring at her, then unbuttoned the shirt and slipped out of it. "Still stubborn as ever, I see," he muttered.   
Sora chose to ignore that. She bit her lip when she glimpsed the telltale bruises marking Matt's arms. He stared at her, ice-blue eyes challenging her to say something.   
"Go on then," Matt said softly, his voice sounding tight, controlled, as though he was trying to restrain any sign of emotion. "Act all horrified and reproving - I've seen it enough times - I don't care anymore."  
Abruptly, Sora turned away, and said briskly, "I'll just put this in the wash, OK?"  
She had to swipe an angry tear away as she swept out of her bedroom.   
Matt's eyes had been cold, but she couldn't help but see beyond the façade to the agonised, unhappy soul she wanted so much to help...That thought surprised her briefly, but she knew it was true. Matt needed someone now - a friend. She didn't know what he'd been through or why he was so desperate, so terribly miserable that he'd turned to drugs, but she knew she had to help him.  
  
"OK, let's clean you up," Sora announced, trying to sound relaxed and cheerful. She began to attend to the neck wound. Once the wound was cleaned and dressed she rocked back on her heels.  
"Why are you doing this?" Matt asked brusquely, staring at her. He had pulled his knees up to his chest and was looking at her in a puzzled sort of way. "You don't owe me anything - in fact you should be mad at me for ignoring you, and yet...here you are." He shook his head and dropped his gaze.  
"Matt, what's happened to you," Sora whispered. "What's made you so mistrustful - in that you can't even allow someone who was your friend to help you without suspecting that there's an ulterior motive...?"  
"Hey, you don't have a clue what I've been through, so don't think you can stand there and tell me how to behave. I don't know what I'm even /doing/ here." He turned angrily away from her.  
"Matt! Why don't you just tell me, huh? It's all very well you saying that, but if you won't even give me a chance to understand..." Sora tailed off - he was still disregarding her. "Oh, look, fine, if you wanna behave like that. Just let me clean that cut on your forehead and then you can get the hell out of my life the same way you did 2 years ago."  
"What, you think I had a choice?" Matt spat swinging back to face her, his eyes smouldering. "You think I wanted to uproot from my home and go halfway around the world? God, Sora, how I wished I was back here with you all - but the fact was, I wasn't...and I had to live with that too."  
"Well, why didn't you ever come back? It can't have been so hard to phone or write, or email or something! You ignored Tai - your best friend, and you refused to speak to your own brother - what am I supposed to think?"  
He shocked her then, by pulling sharply away from her, throwing himself back on the bed, eyes squeezed shut, his breathing erratic. It sounded as though he was trying hard not to cry.  
  
There was a moment of silence and Sora's anger began to cool. She felt a wave of sympathy as she saw two tears leak from the corners of Matt's eyes.  
"Hey." She put a hand lightly on his bruised arm. "Hey, its all right. I'm sorry, OK?" She paused. "I guess I've still got a big mouth." She tried to get a smile from him.   
Instead, he opened his eyes, glistening with tears, and regarded her solemnly.   
"It was so hard cutting myself off, after my dad died, you know. I wanted to come back, but I'd turned into someone else, and I didn't want my old friends to see the person I'd become. The person who stayed out all night drinking and partying, sleeping around, the person who has to rely on drugs for some kind of release from this damn world." He paused, watching her, waiting for a reaction.   
Sora didn't say anything, realising how hard this must be for Matt - he had never been good at opening up and baring his feelings. She hadn't known Matt's dad had died, hadn't know he's led that life - the "rock star life" they talked about in the music rags, she thought cynically.  
"Oh yes, the famous Matt Ishida, rock star, pop idol, sex icon - but there's always a price right?" He said bitterly, as if reading her thoughts. "If I could go back and change it all, I would."  
"There's no point in living in the past," Sora said softly. "I know, I've tried." She didn't elaborate. Matt didn't push her. He knew what it was like.  
"But you can't keep doing that to yourself Matt - you can't live your whole life alone, and if you don't stop with the drugs..." She tailed off, felt a lump rise in her throat, but forced herself to continue. "If you don't stop, you'll end up killing yourself."  
"And that would be a shame, wouldn't it." Matt muttered sardonically.  
Sora felt that hot flame of anger light within her again. "How can you say that? What right have you to throw away your life?"  
"It's my life," Matt replied harshly. He wasn't looking at her - his eyes were fixed on a point past her head.  
"Look at me, Matt. Look at me." She waited until he turned his head resentfully.   
"You think I don't know what it's been like for you - well, maybe I don't - but I do know that drugs will kill you. They killed my sister, and that's proof enough for me. I can't let you do the same thing. I just can't."  
"Then don't hand around." Matt stated. "Forget this ever happened. I can so easily walk away again."  
Suddenly Sora snapped. Without thinking, her hand flashed out, catching Matt soundly on the cheek. The crack echoed in the small room.   
Matt barely reacted. Sora was breathing hard, trying to hold back the angry tears that threatened to spill over. "You can't..." She sobbed, staring at him with those depthless eyes. "I won't let you."  
They both sat there in silence, each lost in their own thoughts.   
The bedside lamp cast a soft glow on Matt's slightly tanned skin, the light caught in his eyes like reflected flames as he lifted his head slightly to look at her. His lips tightened slightly and he rested his head in his hands, dejected.   
Sora felt as though someone had clenched their fist around her heart and was squeezing it unmercifully as she stared at him, his image swam in front of her as the tears slipped down her cheeks. The ugly red marks across his cheek - fingerprints - her fingerprints...She could feel herself begin to shake with uncontrollable sobs. He couldn't just walk away from her again...  
Matt reached over and pulled the shaking teenager into an embrace, wrapping his arms around her slim, trembling frame, burying his face in her red hair.   
"Sora," he whispered, his voice muffled. "Sora, I'm sorry. I shouldn't have said that."  
Sora could feel his heartbeat, and in that instant, she knew why she couldn't let drugs claim this young man.   
/She loved him. /   
She pulled away and gently placed her hand on his cheek, warm against her skin. "No, /I'm/ sorry. I guess it's none of my business."  
"No-one's been as sweet to me for years as you have been tonight. I guess I'd kind of forgotten what it felt like to have someone actually care what went on in my life."  
"Tai and TK would care if you'd only let them." Sora said softly.   
"Perhaps..." Matt said.  
"I know they..."  
"Hush," Matt whispered, putting his fingers to her lips. "Tell me about your sister. I never knew you had a sister..."  
"She died a long time ago. I was...oh, eight or so - she was 17. I remember, the only thing I could think of when they told me she was dead was how selfish she had been to make us all suffer like that, when she knew that what she was doing was wrong - mom was devastated, but I couldn't even cry...Of course, I didn't really understand, but I haven't been able to reconcile myself to believing that it wasn't her fault...And I hate myself for that."  
Matt lay down on the bed, pulling Sora down with him, still entangled in his arms. He hugged her gently. "Maybe she /didn't/ know what she was doing."  
Sora shook her head. "I think she knew. But I couldn't bear for it to happen to someone else I love..."  
It took her a few seconds to register what she had said. It seemed to take Matt a few minutes to realise it too.  
"What did you say..?" Matt said, voice catching in his throat. He looked shyly at her, and suddenly, the mask he had always kept up so carefully seemed to fall away and an innocent hope filtered through, dispelling all the frustration, all the pent-up resentment and leaving only the desperate need to be wanted lingering in those clear blue eyes...   
Sora looked up at him boldly. "You heard me Ishida." She touched his cheek tentatively, the little voice within her heart begging him not to pull away. He shifted slightly and took her hand in his, his eyes unreadable.   
"I told you I loved you."  
She swallowed, her mouth suddenly dry. "I loved you two years ago, though I'm not sure I realised it until you walked out of my life and I recognised what I was losing. You broke my heart. I spent these past years struggling to forget you, but I just couldn't stop thinking about you - where you were, what you were doing...And then, Bang - you waltz back into my life as though you've never been away. I felt as though I'd been punched in the stomach when you pretended not to recognise me."  
"I said I was sorry," Matt replied quietly. "I meant it. I was stupid to do that...Perhaps I can make up for it?"  
"Oh? And how do you plan to do that?" Sora teased, stirring, planning to get up and turn off the main room light - it was almost 1 in the morning, after all.   
'So much for a good night's sleep,' she thought wryly. Matt's hand stopped her; he turned her face back to his, his fingers resting lightly on her chin. He sat up, guiding her with him, bringing the other hand up to rest against her cheek, then pulled her closer.   
His lips met hers gently, and suddenly, in that instant, Sora knew that her feeling had been right. She did love Matt, and she couldn't bear for him to leave her. The years of anguish, of trying to get over her feelings for him were wiped away in that kiss...That one moment of absolute truth. /She loved Matt./  
"How does that work for you?" Matt said, a smile spreading over his features, as he broke the kiss after what seemed a perfect eternity. "Am I sufficiently redeemed?"  
"Hmmm." Sora replied a glint of laughter in her eyes as she leaned in once more, shifting her hands to wrap around his neck. "I think I need a little further convincing..."   
  
A/N: heeeeeeeeeeeee! Wahey! Aren't they cute.....No? Ah well. I think so. Next chapter coming soon I hope - what will Frenzy do to get to TK, and will Matt realise what's at stake? 


	5. Ice, Fire and Storm

Hey everyone. Sorry to have taken so long with this. I did have it started a long time ago, but then I kinda lost inspiration. I think I may have regained the inspiration now, so I'm gonna do the best I can with following chapters, hopefully there won't be such a gap between posts now!! And thank you to all those who are so infinitely patient out there, your reviews have meant so much to me. Thank you especially to jane and sweet_sorato, it was you guyz who convinced me to take this up again, so everyone, it's their doing!! (Blame them! :P ) Thank you all, though, for being so supportive. I hope there is more good stuff waiting to be written - we'll see! This chapter,as I said, gave me a bit of grief, but I'm ready to make a go of it again. It could have been a little longer, but I got to where I wanted to with this one. The next chapter will probably be Frenzy and TK's close encounter….(Promise!) :p Please review. I know I'm insufferable, but my readers make all the work worth it!! hugs

Disclaimer: Would I lie? No! I don't own Digimon, please, take it all very lightly. It is mere jest, I swear. :p

Chapter 5: Ice, Fire, Storm

Sora felt stiff when she was awakened the following morning by the beeping of her watch alarm – it was all she could do to get out of bed. She got a shock when she realised there was someone sleeping beside her, but then in a rush, the memory of the previous night flooded back.

A strange mixture of excitement and fear filtered through her as she let her eyes linger on Matt. The blonde was still asleep; his lips parted slightly, his forehead creased in a little frown as though he was having an unpleasant dream.

Quietly, Sora left the bedroom and began to get ready for her early morning lecture. As she poured coffee and put some bread in the toaster, she couldn't help thinking that maybe, she shouldn't have let Matt know her feelings so soon. At the time, it had seemed the only thing to do, but now she felt strangely nervous. She didn't know whether she could bear to have her heart and hope shattered again – and how far could she trust Matt? And did he feel the same way about her? He had kissed her after all, but an annoying niggle in the back of her head kept reminding her that Matt had plenty of experience with women, from what he had said, and that he probably wasn't used to any kind of commitment. How committed could one be when one was in a world-famous band, touring all over the place and followed everywhere by adoring fans?

There were too many questions, too many doubts. Then she realised that she hadn't even asked him how had come to be injured in the first place. Now that she thought about it, the cuts on his throat had looked bizarrely like teeth marks…

Sora shook her head, and busied herself with her breakfast. Matt was still asleep when she was ready to leave. She didn't want to wake him – he looked different when he was asleep, the carefully schooled look of cool indifference was no longer there and he seemed somehow younger and more vulnerable. As an afterthought, Sora scribbled a quick note to him and left it on the bedside table before leaving quietly, shutting the door behind her. 

__

Matt, 

gone to lecture – done at 10.30. Feel free to raid the cupboards – if you can find any food, you're welcome to it. See you later. 

~ Sora x 

P.S. Shirt's in the dryer!

***********************************

The clock on Sora's table read 11.00 when Matt finally opened his eyes. He groaned, massaging his neck gingerly, but the ache was only slight. His eyes fell next upon the note. A small smile crept onto his face. He could do with something to eat…

He was surprised to see that Sora was still out. He supposed her lecture must have run over, or she'd gone out for lunch or something. He couldn't quite believe what had happened last night. The last thing he'd expected was to hear Sora telling him that she loved him – and had done for two years. "Full of surprises," he muttered as he began to search the cupboards.

***********************************

"Heya TK," Kari said casually as they met at their lockers before lunch. "You still coming over later?"

"If that's good with you," TK responded, trying to force his already overflowing locker to swallow his maths books. He squashed them in as hard as he could then whipped his hand away and slammed the locker closed before anything could topple out.

"You know that's just all gonna pour out the next time you open it," Kari said in a knowing way, her hands on her hips.

"It's a skill I've developed over the years," TK retorted. "I can handle it."

Kari giggled. "Oh whatever. I suppose I should be glad you've developed something, even if it is how to fill your locker 'til its ready to explode!"

"Hey!" TK exclaimed indignantly, as she sauntered out of the locker room. "I resent that! And it wouldn't explode…"

He realised with a jolt of annoyance as he turned to follow her that he had forgotten to take his lunch out, and opened his locker again, calling for Kari to wait for him.

This distraction proved to be his downfall. As he opened the door, a landslide of books, stationary, Sports kit and his lunch greeted him and made a series of noticeable thumps s they fell to the floor.

"What was that, TK?" Kari said sweetly as she poked her head into the locker room once more. "Were you calling me? I couldn't quite hear over the noise all that stuff made falling out of your locker…"

"Just hush." TK glowered, throwing his maths textbook at her.

*********************************

"Sora? It's Tai."

"I know that, stupid," Sora replied, a grin on her face as she shifted her cellphone closer to her ear.

"Oh. I guess you do."

"Well?" Sora prompted her friend.

"Wanna meet us for lunch?"

"Us?" Sora prompted again.

"Yeah. Me, Izzy, Joe. And someone else who can't wait to see you."

"Who's that then?" Sora said, her forehead creased in puzzlement as she opened the glass doors out of college by backing into them and slipping out – less than gracefully- before they crushed her.

"Well, that would spoil the surprise," Tai replied mischievously, and Sora guessed he was enjoying keeping her in suspense.

"You are _so _evil Taichi." She stated, rolling her eyes. "Where are you guys then?"

"Pizza Palace," Tai told her. "Meet us in ten minutes?"

"Sure. See ya then!"

"Bye Sor'." 

**********************************

Frenzy looked out from her darkened hideout at the sun shining brightly and scowled. How could she conduct her plan if the damn-blasted sunshine insisted on blazing down? She simply couldn't work in such conditions. She pouted, fondly remembering her home-realm where everything was blessed darkness and light had no place. Well, if things went right she would soon be back. But first, she had to eliminate the problem of the sun. A quick weather spell would suffice. She needed sufficient power first though, and to gain power, she needed some mortal dross to drain. Barking instructions at her hovering attendants, ordering them to bring her victims, she rubbed her hands together in gleeful delight. She loved being in control… 

***********************************

"MIMI!" Sora exclaimed, filled with a sudden rush of excitement as she saw her friend get up from the table where she had been seated with Tai and the others and run to greet her. They met in a clumsy elated embrace, spinning around and both laughing.

"Mimi, I can't believe you're here!"

"I know, I know, neither can I," her friend laughed delightedly. "I just got off for summer and the next thing I knew I was jumping on a plane. I just couldn't wait to see you all."

"I'm so glad! There's so much to tell you!"

"Sora, Mimi, what do you want to eat?" Tai said impatiently from the table, but it was mock-impatience. He had a big grin on his face and it was clear he had enjoyed Sora's moment of surprise as much as the others had.

"The usual," Sora grinned at the waitress. Lara knew them all pretty well now; the Pizza Palace had been their hang-out for some time.

"Now we're just waiting for TK and Kari," Tai said. "But I guess they won't mind if we start."

At the mention of TK, Sora suddenly had an idea. It was one of those quick-strike ideas that you don't even think about, and you don't consider the consequences. If she had thought about it, perhaps she would've realised it wasn't a very good idea. But she didn't. And that was how she ended up calling Matt on his cellphone, having given the others the excuse that she was going to the bathroom.

Huddled in a cubicle, she hastily dialled the number and waited impatiently for him to pick up, hoping he wouldn't be occupied with band-stuff, but sure enough, he answerered.

"Hi, Matt? It's Sora. Listen, I've just finished college. Wanna come down to the pizza place and grab a bit of lunch? OK, cool. See you in a few minutes then. Yeah, OK, yeah. Bye!"

Feeling pleased with herself, Sora pushed open the bathroom door and sauntered back over to the table, then settled down next to Mimi and started plaguing her with questions. It had been a long time. She felt excitement bubbling within her chest. This was perfect! The old gang would be united again, and she would have brought them together; it was just what everyone needed. TK would be so happy, and the others so surprised. She was sure that Matt, secretly, would be thrilled. He needed his own friends back around him again, and this was the ideal opportunity. She looked up and smiled as TK and Kari arrived, exclaiming excitedly over Mimi's appearance, before pulling up two more chairs and eagerly joining in the conversation. Sora nursed her secret gleefully and watched the door.

*****************************

Matt scowled as he heard a roll of thunder. _Great_. He waited for the following shower of raindrops, and sure enough, they obliged. Within moments, he was soaked. It was one of those times where you can laugh, or scream with frustration. Matt did neither. He merely shoved his hands in his pockets and walked stolidly on; his eyes fixed on the ground as he hurried down the street towards Pizza Palace. He felt strangely nervous about seeing Sora again, especially after what happened the previous night. Now that he was fully in possession of his wits, he was beginning to feel a little trapped. He had been so long on his own, playing his own game, doing whatever he wanted to do, and now he couldn't help but be wary. He didn't know if he wanted Sora to be involved. It was too complicated. He would hate for her, or any of his friends, to be dragged down, as he feared they would if they were around him. He owed them that much at least. That was why he'd cut himself off, after all, wasn't it? To protect them? Or was it just being selfish…That little voice of self-doubt niggled at the back of his mind, just as it always had.

He sighed, pushed it away. He'd have to talk to Sora. Really talk to her properly; try to make her understand.

That was the problem though, he was so bad at conveying his meaning. He just seemed to make everyone angry, or upset, or disappointed. Maybe he shouldn't say anything. Before he knew it, he was at Pizza Palace. He cursed the rain inwardly once more. He must look a state. Well, Sora had seen him look worse, after all…

*****************************

TK felt a sudden jolt pass through him as he looked up. His throat seemed to seize up entirely. He couldn't tear his eyes away from the young man who had just pushed open the door. "Matt?" He managed to squeak, finally, inaudibly.

Sure, his blonde hair hung in his face, dripping and darkened from the rain; he was taller, thinner perhaps; his expression was harder, colder; there were dark circles beneath those blue eyes, but it was undoubtedly Matt. His brother had come back.

He heard Kari questioning him, asking him what was wrong.

"TK? You've gone as white as anything! Are you OK?"

TK didn't answer. Matt had just looked up. Was staring at him, horrified. TK didn't know what to feel when he saw his own brother looking at him as though Matt had just been presented with the worst possible thing that could have happened.

The next thing he knew, Tai had pushed his chair back with a loud scraping noise. He was standing up, looking as shocked as TK felt. But suddenly that shock was replaced with a look TK knew to be absolute fury. He hadn't seen Tai furious very often, but when Tai was angry, he did it properly.

He tore his gaze away from Matt's, avoiding the others' searching looks, feeling like a hunted animal. He didn't know what to do. This was all wrong. It wasn't supposed to be like this!

Sora was standing too, she was motioning for Matt to come over, but now anger had come over his features as well, and it seemed to be directed at Sora. TK didn't understand. The air seemed almost electric. He realised Kari had a tight hold of his hand.

"What…What are you DOING here?" Tai suddenly spluttered, as though words had just occurred to him.

Matt looked like a caged animal, a wild thing, a wolf that knew it was cornered and was preparing to fight. His gaze flicked from Sora, to Tai, and back again. It was as if TK and the others no longer existed.

Joe, Izzy and Mimi didn't say anything. They sat, dumbstruck in their seats and watched hopelessly as Tai moved out from behind the table. Matt's eyes were cold now; they held none of the shock and alarm that they had previously. He stood calmly, his shoulders back, but something in his stance suggested he was prepared for some immense struggle.

The other customers were almost silent now, watching the scene, as though it were a movie. TK felt a little like that too, as if the events were playing out without him having any control. Suddenly, he felt himself standing up.  
"Why are you here?" He said, his voice small and unrecognisable as his own. The tension in the room seemed momentarily broken, but still, absolute silence reigned. 

"Why didn't you answer my calls? Why didn't you ever talk to me?" He felt as though he was going to fall apart, his whole being seemed to ache with pent-up anger and sorrow.

"How hard could it have been to call me, just once, even? Just one bloody call?! I'm your brother for pity's sake. Didn't you think I'd wonder where you were, worry about you? Did you think I'd just forgotten?!"

Matt didn't say anything, but a look of complete misery snatched hold of his face for an instant. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but then suddenly, Tai's fist flew at him and caught him square on the jaw. Matt was propelled backwards by the strength of the blow, crashing into the doors of the restaurant with quite shocking force. Tai stood trembling, his whole body tensed up, as Matt slid to the floor, stunned, one hand reflexively brought up to his mouth.

"Tai!" Sora's voice was shrill; she sounded as horrified as TK felt. She leapt up, grabbing Tai's arms as if to prevent him attacking Matt a second time, pulling him backwards. Tai was pushing her, telling her to let go, to get out of the way. TK couldn't look at Matt, couldn't breathe. Sora was almost wrestling with Tai now, staff were emerging from the kitchen, people were murmuring, lightning flashed. 

The thunder rolled outside.

"How could you do this?" Matt suddenly exclaimed, his voice raw with anger as he staggered to his feet, a thin rivulet of blood cutting a channel down his chin from a split lip.

"How _could _you, Sora? I trusted you, but now…Now I just see I can't trust anyone any more. I should _never _ have come back. How could…How could I have been so _fucking_ stupid?"

He whirled around, his voice sounding choked, but with anger or tears, TK couldn't tell. In another split second, he was gone, out of the door, into the storm. TK felt a great wail of anguish building up within him.

"NO! Matt, WAIT!" The words tore from his throat. He dashed to the door; almost falling over his chair, turning it over, snatching at the door before it swung back. He looked dazedly at his fingers closed around the handle, for a second he seemed detached from what was happening. His brother had been here, just a moment ago, and now, _now_, he was gone again. And he mightn't ever get another chance to tell him everything he had wanted to say, ever since Matt had left.

"Wait!" He called out hopelessly again, into the rain, a powerless scream.

Impulsively, he took off, his feet pounding the sidewalk, ignoring Tai's shouts, only knowing he had to find Matt before he lost him again…

******************************* 

Sora let her arms fall slowly back to her sides, she was shaking so violently that she could hardly stand up. Tai reached out to her, but she shied away, and staggered back a few paces, breathing hard, her cheeks flushed and her eyes shining with tears. Kari stood up slowly, her gaze sweeping the room. She went up to Sora and put her arm around her, glanced at her brother, whose brown eyes were downcast and impossible to read. The chatter began to build up around them; people started to turn away, as though nothing momentous had occurred. The Digi-Destined looked at each other, too confused and emotion-filled to voice anything.

"Hey," the group heard one girl speak up as she conversed with two friends.

"Wasn't that the guy from that rock group, the Teenage Wolves?"

next installment is being planned….(ominous drumroll!) Read and Review please. Thank you!!!

~ Jaded_Angel


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